During the month of October, I’m posting brief reviews of some of my favorite books from the past couple of years: those that really touched my heart, gave me a new perspective, taught me something, or were just plain fun. Hopefully you will be inspired to add something to your to-read list. 🙂
My Goodreads review of The Screwtape Letters from November 2012:
Each time through this book, I am amazed at Lewis’s keen insight into sinful human nature. Almost every chapter had me wincing inwardly as Screwtape instructs his nephew in how to tempt his “patient”, as I recognize so many of those things in my own life. I found the last chapter especially powerful and full of hope, although seen through the eyes of an angry demon. My audiobook also included “Screwtape Proposes a Toast”, which although I did not find quite as good, had some thought-provoking things to say about democracy and education.
And here’s a couple of favorite quotes:
The use of fashions in thought is to distract men from their real dangers. We direct the fashionable outcry of each generation against those vices of which it is in the least danger, and fix its approval on the virtue that is nearest the vice which we are trying to make endemic. The game is to have them all running around with fire extinguishers whenever there’s a flood; and all crowding to that side of the boat which is already nearly gone under.
When they meant to ask Him for charity, let them, instead, start trying to manufacture charitable feelings for themselves and not notice that this is what they are doing. When they meant to pray for courage, let them really be trying to feel brave. When they say they are praying for forgiveness, let them be trying to feel forgiven. Teach them to estimate the value of each prayer by their success in producing the desired feeling; and never let them suspect how much success or failure of that kind depends on whether they are well or ill, fresh or tired, at the moment.
